Electro-mechanical indexing clutch



June 27, 1961 M. E. GRES 2,990,046

ELECTRO-MECHANICAL INDEXING CLUTCH Filed March 24, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 44 CENTRIFUGAL 43 F [6.1.

CLUTCH 42 PULSE REDUCTION 4| BQB Q' GEAR'NG 32 SELECTOR H 33 STATION JFII J u 33 i 36 I4 '3 I9 22 2 I8 23 I? III 27 3 3 24 I6 .04

/ 4 INVENTOR 5| MARCEL E. GRES ATTORNEYS M. E. GRES 2,990,046

ELECTRO-MECHANICAL INDEXING CLUTCH June 27, 1961 FIG.3.

FIG.4.

INVENTOR MARCEL E. GRES ATTORNEYS United States Patent Marcel E. Gres, Austin, Tex., amignor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Mar. 24, 1954, Ser. No. 418,484 3 Claims. (Cl. 192-139) The present invention relates to electromechanical indexing clutches and more particularly to an indexing clutch wherein a first indexing disk is rotated by electrical drive to a desired setting by means of a selected number of electrical impulses from a remote low powered source and a second disk is driven by a higher powered source to a setting corresponding to the setting of the first disk. During the rotation of the second disk, apparatus such, for example, as the depth setting mechanism of a depth charge, is driven by the higher powered source simultaneously with the second disk to a setting corresponding to the setting of the first disk and indicative of a selected depth of submersion for firing the depth charge. It is also apparent that the indexing clutch of the present invention may be employed with many other devices where such indexing is required.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved indexing clutch wherein a first disk is moved to a desired setting by a predetermined number of electrical pulses and a second disk is driven to a position corresponding to the setting of the first disk with a high degree of accuracy and locked, thus to move apparatus attached thereto to a desired operative position.

Another object is to provide a new and improved indexing clutch wherein indexing is accomplished by rotating a disk to a setting in accordance with a selected number of electrical impulses and driving a second disk by another source of power into coincidence with the first disk.

Still another object is to provide a new and improved indexing mechanism which is positive in action and provides movement of a device-to be indexed with a high degree of accuracy.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in somewhat diagrammatic form of the device of the present invention and showing associated apparatus;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the indexing clutch of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 and show,- ing the disks and indexing means in registered locking engagement.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, 10 indicates generally a casing which may be fixed to a device such, for example, as a depth charge (not shown) in any desired well-known manner. Casing 10 is provided with a cover plate 11 to which is secured the pulse operated rotor device 12. Rotor device 12 may be any well-known device such as a stepper switch or rotary solenoid which rotates a portion of a revolution for each electrical impulse received thereby from a remotely located adjustable low power electrical pulse circuit of selector station SS. It is also desirable to provide a ratchet mechanism 13 (FIG. 2) to rotate shaft 14 in one direction in steps as the rotor device 12 moves forward one step and returns to the starting position thereof for each impulse received thereby. Shaft 14 is mounted in bearings 15 and 16 and has mounted thereon a gear 17 and a ratchet wheel 18, wheel 18 beingfor the purpose of preventing rotation of shaft'14 in any but the desired direction, there being a pawl 19 mounted for engagement therewith. 1

An indexing disk 21'is provided with gear teeth 22 at the periphery thereof which mesh with gear 17, disk' 21 being provided with depending diametrically opposed pins 23 and 24. In the arrangement shown in the drawings, pin 23 is'of lesser diameter and is positioned closer to the axis of disk 21 than is pin 24, for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described. Disk 21 is rotatably mounted on hollow stub shaft 25 formed integrally with cover plate 11. In operation indexing disk 21 is rotated by rotor device 12 through gear 17 and gear teeth 22 to a position in accordance with the number of impulses received by rotor device 12 from the selector station SS.

A second indexing disk 26 is mounted fixedly on shaft 27 which is rotatably mounted in bore 28 of hollow stub shaft 25 and bore 29 through the lower end of casing 10. The upper end of shaft 27 is provided with a transverse pin 31 extending from both sides thereof. Mounted in axial alignment with shaft -27 is a shaft 32. An enlarged portion '33 is formed on the end of shaft 32 and has an axial bore 34 to receive the upper end of shaft 27. Diametrically opposed cam slots 35 are cut in the wall of enlarged portion 33 and receive the extended ends of pin 31. Each slot 35 is provided with a transverse face 36 and a helical portion 37. Initially, the pin 31 engages transverse face 36 which holds disk 26 in spaced relation with respect to pins 23 and 24 of disk 21, thus permitting disk 21, while disk 26 is spaced therefrom, to be rotated freely by rotor device 12 to a selected position, it being possible during this condition of the disks to change the selected position and to return the disk 21 to the initial or inactive position.

Disk 26 is provided with a pair of bores 38 and 39 which are adapted to register with and to receive the pins 23 and 24 respectively.

As shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, shaft 32 is driven through reduction gearing 41, centrifugal clutch 42 and shaft 43 by a source of power such, for example, as an air vane propeller 44. Clutch 42 is of a centrifugally operated type which opens the driving connection between shaft43 and shaft 32 when propeller 44 is at rest or is revolved at a speed under a predetermined number of revolutions per minute and which closes the, driving connection between the two shafts when the propeller is revolved at a speed above the predetermined speed. v '1 Shaft 27 at the lower end thereof is provided with a transverse pin 45, the projecting ends of which initially rest in diametrically opposed slots 46 cut in enlarged end 47 of shaft 48. Enlarged end 47 of shaft 48 is formed with an axial bore 49 into which shaft 27 extends, a normally compressed spring 51 is mounted in bore 49 and bears against shaft 27 thus initially urging pin 31 against the transverse faces 36 of slots 35.

When shaft 32 starts turning as clutch 42 engages, pin 31 enters helical portion 37 of slots 35 thus permitting spring 51 to expand to move disk 26 into engagement with pins 23 and 24 of disk 21. Shafts 32, 27 and 48 continue to rotate as propeller 44 is driven, thus rotating disk 26 with respect to disk 21 and the pins 23, 24 thereof, until bores 38 and 39 are brought into registry with pins 23 and 24 respectively, whereupon spring 51 urges shaft 27 upwardly still farther until the upper face of disk 26 is in abutment with the lower face of disk 21 and pins 23, 24 are locked in bores. It is clear from an inspection of FIG. 2, the pin 45 will move out of slots 46, thus preventing further movement of shaft 48 and leaving the apparatus attached thereto in the desired adjusted setting selected by the operator of the selector station SS.

The apparatus driven by shaft 48 is indicated generally at. S2 and maybe in the form of a variable, depth setting mechanism for a depth charge, shaft 48 having fixedthereto a gear 53 which drives a gear 54 secured to shaft 55. Apparatus 52 comprises a casing 56 having a central bore 57 in which is threaded a spring base 58 fixed to the end of shaft 55.

' A bore 59 in the end of casing 56 communicates with the water in which the depth charge is submerged and 'is closed initially by a valve member 61 A spring 62 is interposed between spring base 58 and member 61 whereby the valve member is held closed by the spring until the pressure of the water rises, as the depth charge submerges, to a pressuregreater than the pressure exerted by the spring, whereupon the valve opens flooding casing 56 and actuating a pressure operated switch 63 thus to energize the firing circuit of the depth charge in any well known manner.

It is, of course, clear that rotation of shaft 55 moves spring base inwardly on the threads and compresses spring 62 thus increasing the amount of water pressure necessary to open valve member 61. In this manner the depth setting device may be varied to fire the depth charge at a selected depth of submersion.

It is also clear that the shaft 48 may operate at certain selected rotary positions thereof and by means of cams 58 or other means, other devices employed in a depth charge such, for example, as the arming switch, the alignment of the firing train and the initiation of a timedelay sterilizing mechanism.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Indexing apparatus comprising, in combination, a first disk, a rotatable shaft, a second disk fixed to said shaft in initial spaced face adjacency to said first disk, means for driving rotatively said first disk a selected number of steps, said shaft being axially movable, propeller means for rotating said shaft, first indexing means including a pair of pins on said first disk and rotatable therewith, second indexing means including a pair of apertures for said second disk and adapted to receive said pins and be rotated with said second disk 'into registration with the first indexing means, and means including a spring and a helical cam portion for axially moving said shaft and thereby moving said second disk into locking engagement with the first disk when said first and second indexing means are in registration.

2. Indexing apparatus comprising, in combination, a rotatable first disk having indexing means including a pair of pins thereon, means for rotating said first disk, a second disk having indexing means including a pair of apertures adapted to be brought into mutual registrat-ion with the pins of the first disk, said; second disk be n ro atable, and axial y mo ab p op lle me n for rotating said, second disk, cam means operatively connected to said driving means and having a transverse portion formaintaining initially the disks and indexing means thereof in mutually spaced relation and a helical portion providing for movement of the indexing means of the second disk into engagement with'the indexing means of the first disk as the driving means initiates the rotation of the second disk, means for causing the indexing means of the disks to enter into locking engagemerit when the indexing means of the disks are in mutual registration, indexable means driven by said driving meansv in unison with said second disk, and means for disconnecting the drive between said driving means and the indexable means when the indexing means of the disks enter into locking engagement.

3. Indexing apparatus comprising, in combination, a first rotatable member, first means for rotating said first member to a desired rotative position, a pair of pins fixed to said first member and extending from a face thereof, said pins being of diflerent sizes and diametrically disposed at unequal distances from the axis of rotation of said first member, a second rotatable member mounted in spaced face adjacency to said face of the first member, second means including an axially movable shaft for rotating said second member after said first member has been rotated to a desired position, said second member having a pair of bores therein adapted to "receive the pins of'said first member when the pins and bores are in mutual registration, and said second means including means operatively connected to said shaft for moving said members into locked relation when the pins and bores are in mutual registration, said last-named means including a spring and a cam having a helical po t o References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,356,167 McKelvey Aug. 22, 1944 2,456,657 Vagts Dec. 21, 1948 2,515,944 Bennett July 18, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,800 Great Britain of 1915 58,603 Sweden Apr. 7, 1925 

